


beautiful in the rain

by itsmylifekay



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec is a good boyfriend, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, magnus cries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-27
Updated: 2016-11-27
Packaged: 2018-09-02 14:35:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8671291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsmylifekay/pseuds/itsmylifekay
Summary: “Third base is when he sees you cry for the first time”
Magnus' eyes are red-rimmed and glowing gold in the dark of the room, makeup smeared on his face and eyeliner dripping down his cheeks in inky black tracks. His hair is flattened and in disarray, clothes devoid of their usual grandeur. 
He is the most beautiful man Alec’s ever seen.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the tumblr post by xhba: “Third base is when he sees you cry for the first time”

 

“Third base is when he sees you cry for the first time”

 

======

 

“Magnus?”

Alec steps into the apartment and immediately reaches for his bow, eyes trailing over the wreckage of the entryway. Careful steps bring him to the living room and kitchen, clothes and plates and glitter strewn across the floor, lights burnt out and leaving him searching by the soft glow of his witchlight.

The door to Magnus’ room is ajar and Alec peers carefully inside, breath catching in his throat when he sees the state it’s in. There’s an eyeliner pencil just inside the door, snapped in half and melted half out of its casing, a dark black smudge bleeding into the carpet. Then his eyes catch on Magnus and his bow nearly drops from his fingers.

“Magnus,” he calls again, rushing to the bed and ducking down to try and look for any damage. Because the great Magnus Bane is curled up in the center of the bed with an arm curled around his head, knees tucked to his chest and face pressed into the covers. He doesn’t see any blood but that doesn’t mean there aren’t wounds where he can’t see, or that it isn’t something of magical origin.

He touches Magnus’ shoulder and tries to pull his arm away but Magnus makes a choked sound and pulls away, rolls until he’s on his knees then pushes himself up with one hand, face still turned away. His shoulders shake minutely on his next breath and Alec realizes with a stunning sort of clarity that Magnus is _crying._ He feels helpless.

Demons, circle members, forsaken, he’s fought them all without backing down. He’s dealt with losing family and friends, with grisly wounds and grislier battles. And it only takes a few tears to bring him to his knees.

“Alexander,” Magnus finally says, voice unbelievably steady but still not quite right. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Uh, yeah I—” Alec swallows and takes a deep breath. “We finished up early so I thought I’d come over.”

They haven’t seen each other in a few days and with all of the clean up, Alec was lucky to get away even for tonight. He sits carefully on the edge of the bed and puts his hand on the covers beside where Magnus is gripping the dark fabric.

“Magnus, what happened?”

He receives a sniffle in response and a subtle rolling of Magnus’ shoulders, like he’s squaring up for a fight; Alec’s watched him prepare for battle or a particularly tricky consultation enough times to notice the gesture for what it is.

“I want to help you, please. Can I— Is there anything I can do?”

The witchlight is glowing softly by his hip and it gives just enough light for him to catch the glint of Magnus’ earrings as he turns, rubs his face halfheartedly against his shoulder before lifting his head in Alec’s direction.

His glamor is down, leaving his eyes red-rimmed and glowing gold in the dark of the room, makeup smeared on his face and eyeliner dripping down his cheeks in inky black tracks. His hair is flattened and in disarray, clothes devoid of their usual grandeur.

He is the most beautiful man Alec’s ever seen.

Their eyes lock and Magnus sucks in another shaky breath, looking smaller than Alec’s ever seen him wrapped in an overlarge black sweater that he vaguely recognizes from his own closet. He lifts an arm in silent invitation and thanks the angels above when Magnus moves to fold himself into his chest, face pressed to his neck and one hand pressed into the fabric just above Alec’s heart, lithe body a solid weight in his lap.

For a long time, Alec just holds him. He doesn’t know what to say or what to do, so he offers Magnus whatever he has to give, his strength, his warmth, even the limited love he can express each time he bends his head and presses a kiss to Magnus’ temple. It’s one of the times when his lips are pressed to Magnus’ skin that Magnus stirs. He pushes himself up and brushes his thumb over the hollow of Alec’s throat.

“Thank you, Alexander,” he murmurs, golden eyes flicking up to his face. He attempts a smile that doesn’t meet his eyes and Alec immediately ducks in to kiss it away, the barest brush of lips before he pulls away.

“Thank you for trusting me,” he whispers. He wipes at a few dry tears and can’t help the fond smile when Magnus leans into the touch, cheek soft and warm against his palm. “You’re so beautiful,” he says.

Magnus huffs out a laugh. “Oh please, Alexander. I don’t need a mirror to know the state my face is in. Like a priceless painting left out in the rain.”

“No,” Alec shakes his head, ignoring Magnus’ attempt at levity, pushing the hair from Magnus’ face and pressing their foreheads together. “You’re so beautiful, Magnus. Always.”

He can feel the way Magnus’ breath catches and see how his eyes widen before fluttering shut. Their lips meet again and Alec lets himself fall into it, keeps Magnus close as the kiss stretches warm and sweet. When they finally pull apart Magnus has a real smile on his face, one that Alec can’t help but kiss again and again, until Magnus is laughing and Alec gets to taste that too.

“Almost a year and you still manage to surprise me,” Magnus says when they finally part for good. He reaches out and brushes at Alec’s shoulder. “Although I do apologize for getting makeup all over your shirt.”

Alec catches his hand and gives it a squeeze, “It’s fine. Although I might have to clean it before I go.” He glances at the shirt Magnus is wearing. “Especially since my shirts apparently aren’t as horrible as you’ve said.”

“Horrible? No. An affront to that deliciously sculpted body of yours? Absolutely.” Alec blushes and laughs, Magnus flashing him a wink before continuing. “Trust me, it’s much more about the sentiment than any sense of fashion.”

It’s not too difficult for Alec to read between the lines and hear the quiet ‘ _I missed you’_ in Magnus’ words, especially considering how much he’s been missing Magnus as well.

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“Because you’re busy, Alexander,” Magnus says. “And I can’t expect you to come running whenever I happen to be feeling a little down. Besides, with it being the anniversary of Ragnor’s death, I knew today was going to be particularly awful and didn’t want you to have to see me that way.”

“Magnus,” Alec says carefully. “I want to see you _every_ way.”

That seems to stun Magnus, eyes wide and blinking at Alec in a drawn out moment of silence that finally breaks when Magnus smiles and says, “Truly, you never cease to amaze me. How did I ever get so lucky as to find you?”

“I could ask the same question,” Alec grins. And just like that the heavy atmosphere breaks, air rushing back in as they both smile and laugh and breathe each other in.

“Just wait until you see me sick, then you won’t consider yourself so lucky,” Magnus says, a twinkle in his eye as he pushes himself off the bed and stands, making his way towards the bathroom. “A dreadful affair, a warlock feeling poorly. And Cat seems to think I’m particularly terrible to deal with.”

Alec stands as well and starts to straighten out the room, pulling the sheets into some semblance of order before picking up the throw pillows and placing them back on the bed. “Well then I guess she’ll be happy, since she won’t be the one taking care of you the next time.”

Magnus pokes his head out the doorway at that, face already half scrubbed clean. “Oh Alexander," he flutters his eyelashes ridiculously then grins. "She might just kiss you, although I’d be a bit put out if she did.”

Alec laughs and shakes his head, setting a few bottles of nail polish on the vanity as Magnus disappears back inside the bathroom. His eyes catch on the eyeliner pencil just inside the door and he stoops to pick it up, holding the pieces carefully in hand and tracing his fingers over the stain in the carpet. He feels Magnus come up behind him and hears the click of his tongue before a pulse of blue appears and washes the carpet clean.

“You know I have magic for all this mess,” Magnus says, highlighting his point with a twist of his fingers that sends all of his makeup back to their shelves, clothes hung in the closet and lights flickering on overhead.

Alec shrugs, “Thought you might want a rest. And sometimes cleaning can be, I don’t know, therapeutic.”

“I’ll remind you of that next time there’s demon all over your boots.” Magnus says, eyebrow lifted as he steps out into the hallway, giving his apartment an appraising once-over. “But for now, let’s do it my way. Especially since I believe there’s a movie and some take out with our name on it.”

Blue swirls between his fingers and the apartment comes alive around them, Alec coming to stand behind Magnus as he works, arms wrapping around his waist, hands brushing over the soft fabric of his shirt and the firm muscle he can feel just underneath. Magnus leans into him and Alec doesn’t bother to hide his smile, doesn’t resist the urge to lean down and press his lips to Magnus’ neck. He breathes him in and lets the warm rush of love and affection sweep over him, tingling up his spine until his whole body is fuzzy with it.

“I love you,” he says.

“And I love you, Alexander,” Magnus answers. “Always.”

 

Somehow, it's never felt more true.

 


End file.
